Anesthesia for thoracic outlet decompression

General anesthesia is almost always the anesthetic of choice for surgical decompression of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). As thoracic outlet decompression is typically an elective procedure, patients will ideally go through complete pre-operative assessment and planning with an emphasis on comprehensive medical work-up, risk assessment and optimization, and education. Intraoperative anesthetic care includes careful planning for airway management, hemodynamic monitoring, vascular access and patient positioning. Immediate postoperative recovery takes place in the post-anesthesia recovery unit (PACU), then in the observation unit. As we describe the continuum of the perioperative care for patients with TOS, we emphasize the principles of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS), the importance of good communication between the members of the OR team, and the concept of shared patient responsibility.